San Luis Obispo County, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Age threshold
- over age 10
- Where banned
- park waters, public view, any public place
- Lawful location
- restroom toilet or urinal only
- Lake Nacimiento parallel
- Sec. 11.20.200
- Max penalty
- 6 months jail / $1,000 fine
- Enforcing agency
- Parks Dept., sheriff's deputies
Summary
San Luis Obispo County Code Sec. 11.04.030(f) makes it unlawful for anyone over age ten to urinate or defecate into park waters, in public view within a park, or in any public place other than a restroom toilet or urinal, punishable as a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail.
11.04.030 - General use.(f)Urinate or Defecate in Public. It is unlawful for any person over the age of ten years to intentionally urinate, defecate, or otherwise discard or dispose of human waste or excretion into any water within a county park or facility (including a swimming pool), in an area within a county park or facility that is within the public view, or in any public place other than in a toilet receptacle or urinal provided for such purpose within the structure of any restroom, bathroom, or similar enclosure.
11.04.020(h) - Penalties for Violation. Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter...may be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both. a peace officer issuing a citation for a violation may, at his or her discretion, reduce any offense charged under this chapter to an infraction.
Full Breakdown
030(f) targets three settings at once: it bars intentionally urinating, defecating, or otherwise discarding human waste into any water within a county park or facility, including a swimming pool; within a county park or facility area that is within public view; or in any public place generally, unless the act happens in a toilet receptacle or urinal inside a restroom, bathroom, or similar enclosure. The ten-year age threshold means the ban does not reach young children. 04, which governs every county park and facility except Lake Nacimiento; the same conduct at Lake Nacimiento itself is addressed by the separate, nearly identical Sec.
200, which additionally names urinating or defecating on another person's private property without consent. 030 pairs the waste-disposal ban with related public-decency rules in the same subsection group: subsection (b) bars using abusive, boisterous, or indecent language or gestures that unreasonably disrupt others' use of a park, and subsection (e) restricts using a restroom set apart for the opposite sex, with an exception for young children accompanied by a caregiver. Enforcement runs through park personnel and any peace officer empowered under Sec. 020(j) pursuant to Penal Code Sec.
5, who may issue a citation or make a warrantless arrest for a violation committed in their presence, and the director may additionally eject or ban a violator from the park under Sec. 020(f), subject to appeal to the county administrator within ten days.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Sec. 11.04.030(f) is punishable under Sec. 11.04.020(h) as a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in county jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both, though a citing officer may reduce the charge to an infraction at their discretion; Sec. 11.04.020(i) makes each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal in San Luis Obispo County parks?
What's the penalty for public urination in a county park?
Does the rule apply at Lake Nacimiento too?
Are young children exempt from the public urination ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Luis Obispo County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Luis Obispo County to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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